Over last weekend Paulinho confirmed that Corinthians that received an official bid from Tottenham Hotspur but indicated he would resolve his future after the Confederations Cup. Now he has gone further by declaring he wants to join Spurs whose interest in the player was first revealed by Telegraph Sport in November.

Personal terms are yet to be agreed but should a formality for Paulinho who has played 15 times for Brazil, scoring four goals, and quickly become a key player for coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Paulinho has been tracked by Tottenham's coach Andre Villas-Boas for some time and is also highly-regarded by the club’s new technical director Franco Baldini.

If Spurs sign Paulinho they will then press ahead with their plans to improve their forward line as they make a push towards improving on last season’s fifth-place finish and challenge for honours.

The fear at Spurs is that their bid might be gazumped at the last-minute by some of Europe’s leading clubs given that Chelsea and Inter Milan have also expressed their interest in Paulinho.